5 Ideas for Boosting Your Creative Side

Getting yourself out of a creative rut can be an exhausting endeavor. Maybe you’re stuck on a design or plan for work and can’t seem to make any progress on it, or maybe you want to start a new project but are struggling to find any inspiration. Don’t force the creativity, but instead, try a few of these tips to get the juices flowing again.

Get moving

Physical exercise is actually very helpful in encouraging creativity. The brain creates new neurons in the brain’s memory center while we’re engaged in physical activity and can stimulate new thought patterns. Simply put, it helps your brain clear out the clutter and get a better perspective. Go for a run, swim, bike ride, or jog to clear your head and burn off some steam. At the very least, take a brisk walk.

Get outside

Many people don’t realize that nature can be incredibly healing—even just being around it can ease stress and increase your overall wellbeing. Find a comfortable, scenic spot somewhere near your home or office that you can escape to when you’re in need of a break. Often the mere change of scenery can give you new perspective. Take a moment to step outside, breathe deeply, and clear your head. Enjoy the simplicity and beauty of nature. If possible, take regular breaks like this as often as you can to get nature boosts throughout your busy week.

Look to the past

Sometimes answers for the present can be found in the past, and you never know when your project could benefit from going a little retro. Try looking at completed projects, favorite pieces of art you’ve completed, or the objects that inspired you to create those works in the first place. Was it a technique you adapted to your own needs? An idea? You can even look back at decades-old works of art, advertisements, or even architectural designs and see what ideas you may discover.

Focus on a fun challenge

It’s more than possible that what your brain really needs is a bit of a break, but you also don’t want to lose momentum. Find the happy medium by playing a quick game of cards or do a puzzle like sudoku, a crossword, or a word search. Taking on a low-pressure challenge can ease your tension, but you’ll still be getting mental exercise that can help you work out the problem. You won’t lose the pace you’ve been working at, and you might not even have to play an entire match or finish the puzzle before you’ve found a new perspective.

Avoid drugs and alcohol

Many legendary writers and artists abused drugs and alcohol. As a result, a lot of people believe that substances like drugs and alcohol can enhance creativity. Don’t give in to this myth. Your best ideas will come to you when you’re well-rested and clear-minded. Abusing drugs and alcohol will only lead to problems down the road that could seriously derail your creative pursuits. If you think you may have an addiction, get help right away.

Try something completely new

It’s been shown that students who study abroad tend to be more creative problem solvers because they get exposure to foreign cultures, customs, and practices. But the truth is, you don’t have to go abroad to reap these kinds of benefits! Throwing yourself out of your comfort zone is the quickest way to get a new perspective, so find an easy way to broaden your horizons. Even going for a walk at the local Korean market or heading to the Italian sandwich shop for lunch can stimulate new sights, smells, and sounds that could generate new ideas. If you can’t travel too far, reflect on an exotic place you’ve been to, or look up photos and videos of locations you hope to visit someday.

Hitting a creative block is frustrating, but it can be easier to overcome if you have a strategy. Figure out which of these ideas works best for you, and adapt them as you need to. Soon you’ll be able to power right past those pesky creative blocks!

4 Teachers Share Why

They Love Their Work

A rising demand for teachers and a decreased supply is creating a teacher shortage in the U.S. At ReadyJob, we wanted to do something about that. So, in an effort to inspire today’s young people to consider becoming teachers, we decided to highlight the best aspects of the profession. We reached out to teachers and asked them what they found most rewarding about teaching. Below are some of the reasons they gave:

Teachers prepare students for the future

If you’re not in education, you might think a teacher’s job is about sticking to the books–teaching students the “3 Rs” curriculum used to prepare them for end of grade testing. And that’s certainly part of what they do, but as Doc Meek of DocMeek.com notes they often do much more than that. He wrote in to share why he loves teaching and said it’s because the work gives him “the potential of helping students thrive long-term.” And really, isn’t that exactly what our teachers do? Whether they’re teaching physics or history or a broader life lesson on avoiding drugs or developing conflict resolution skills, our teachers impact their students’ lives long after they leave the classroom.

Teachers help students find their voice

Teachers are in a unique position to guide students as they grow and learn. And Vanessa Lasdon of Word-Ink.net reminds us that students aren’t just learning about the subjects being taught to them, they’re also learning about themselves.

“While there are countless rewarding aspects to teaching–not the least of which is the incredible education I receive in return each day–above all as an English teacher, I love encouraging my students to find their voice and share it with the world,” says Lasdon. “Learning—like writing—starts with great daring.”

Teachers get to teach students new things

If you’ve never seen a child grasp a new concept for the first time, you’re missing out. Teachers show children the world, opening doors for them that were previously closed. For Jennifer Greenleaf of JenniferGreenleaf.com, opening those doors is one of the things she loves most about her profession.

“The most rewarding aspect of teaching is watching the children around me during their most transformative years learning new skills and applying them,” says Greenleaf. “It’s exciting because, under most circumstances, they’re enjoying what they’re doing and it’s fun coming back to encourage the lessons to continue.”

Teachers help students develop a passion for learning

Learning shouldn’t stop when you graduate from high school (or even college, for that matter!). Learning should be a lifelong practice, and as Amy Loring of TwoTeachersontheEdge.com notes, teachers are central to helping students develop that appetite.

“To reach every student by connecting and encouraging them daily should be an educator’s goal,” says Loring. “Teaching is not just standing in front of the class spewing information and lecturing, it is to inspire the desire to want to learn and discover even more. Inspiring the love of learning and finding the hidden gifts of each of your students is life altering for both the student and for the teacher. When you show a child what they can be, you really are changing the world. This passion must show, this love of the child and learning has to be your daily purpose.”

As you can see, teachers are asked to do a lot. But through their interactions with students, they get a lot in return. If you’re considering education for your profession, rest assured that there are students out there who need you.

4 Inexpensive, Engaging Lessons for

Middle Schoolers

Middle school teachers spend a great deal of time designing lessons that are engaging, yet easy on their wallets. As states cut education funding and schools struggle to provide supplies and materials other than the most basic essentials, teachers are left to find inexpensive activities for their classrooms. To make the process a little easier, here are three inexpensive, engaging lessons for middle schoolers that are sure to make both the students and the teachers happy.

Going to Great Lengths – Middle School Math Lesson

Measurement and estimation are two important concepts in middle school math. To make it more engaging than having students measure using worksheets, or even measuring predetermined objects, send students on a scavenger hunt around the classroom or school.

To begin, group students evenly int0o teams. Place three objects of varying length in the front of the classroom and ask each team to estimate the length of each object. Don’t give them the unit of measurement, so that you can formatively assess their ability to use correct measurement units. (*Hint: Choose objects that would require different units, such as inches, feet, and yards.) Then, ask for volunteers to come up front and measure the objects to s0ee which team’s estimate was closest to being accurate. (*Hint: If you don’t have enough rulers or yard sticks for each team, cut string to the length of a ruler and yard stick and use a marker to mark off the inches/feet.)

Then, instruct the teams to leave their measuring tools at their seats while they scour the classroom or designated school areas for items that correspond to your measurement specifications. Teams will have to estimate the lengths of the objects when choosing them, and then return to their tables to measure the objects’ actual length. The team with the objects that are closest to your requested measurements wins.

Whether you are teaching academic vocabulary or vocabulary specific to a text or spelling lesson, you can teach it and have students practice it in a more engaging way with Hot Potato Vocabulary. This inexpensive, engaging vocabulary lesson requires a small foam ball or tennis ball, a source of music (radio, iPod, CD player, etc.), your students, and a list of the vocabulary terms. By the way, you may be a little leery of playing a physical game in your classroom, but don’t fret: there are strategies for classroom management during gameplay that are very effective.

Instruct students to stand in a circle. They should have their vocabulary lists on the floor at their feet, or you can direct them to a large poster of the vocabulary lists hanging on the wall near them somewhere. You will begin playing the music at a minimal volume, and you will toss the ball to a student while the music plays. Students continue to toss the ball to one another until you stop the music, a la musical chairs.

When you stop the music, give a definition or example of one of the vocabulary words to the student who was caught holding the ball when the music stopped. If the student answers correctly, he remains in the game. If he answers incorrectly, he returns to his seat and completes a vocabulary activity that you have prepared ahead of time. The game continues until you run out of vocabulary words, or until there is only one student left in the game.

Pirates – Middle School History Unit

Middle schoolers respond best to lessons that are fun and engaging, and few historical topics meet those requirements better than the study of pirates. To kick off your unit on pirates, you might surprise the kids by showing up in a pirate costume. It’s a great way to get the lesson off to a fun start and it’s sure to get their attention right off the bat.

Then, get rolling with a few of the activities offered by the New England Pirate Museum. For example, have your students research a well-known pirate and then write a few entries in that pirate’s diary. You could also have students research and sketch the different types of ships that were used by pirates. Another great option is to have students research pirate vocabulary and choose the provided definition that would have been most applicable to a pirate’s way of life. Finally, you might end the unit with a scavenger hunt using pirate-fact inspired clues.

Levitating Orbs – Middle School Science Lesson

Static electricity is one of the most fun concepts to teach to middle schoolers, especially because many of them have had personal experience with being zapped by it at some point. For this inexpensive, engaging lesson on Levitating Orbs, you will need PVC pipe, about one inch wide by 24 inches long. If you don’t have any pipe, a regular balloon will work as well. You also will need mylar tinsel [not metallic tinsel] left over from Christmas, but make sure that you find the thinnest and narrowest possible. There’s a good chance you will be able to find some in a clearance bin at a discount store or craft store, no matter the time of year you look. You’ll also need one head of clean, dry hair and scissors.

Tie six strands of tinsel together at one end, and then tie another knot about six inches from the first knot. Cut off the loose strands. Charge the pipe (or balloon) by rubbing it back and forth on your head for about 10 seconds. Then, hold the mylar orb by the knot above the pipe (or balloon) and let it drop to touch the charged object. The orb should repel and begin to float. (*Note, you should try this before doing it with the class, because if the mylar sticks it is more than likely too thick and not going to work.)

Students should then experiment by making orbs with more or fewer strands of tinsel, trying to create static electricity with other materials, such as their clothes, especially if some are wearing wool sweaters or furry boots, and timing to see how long the charge lasts. Can they do anything to make the charge last longer? Give students time to conduct their own investigations and experiments and then report their results.

Nearly any lesson can become an inexpensive, engaging activity when you share your enthusiasm and love of learning with students. Don’t be afraid to substitute materials to save money, or to approach local businesses for donations or discounts when you show your teacher ID.

Susan Lee may be a former teacher, but she is a lifetime educator. As a mother to three college-age children, she knows how difficult paying for college can be. And that’s why she finds her work with OutsideScholarships.org so rewarding. As a writer and researcher, she loves being able to connect students in need with the scholarships that help make achieving their dreams possible. In her spare time, she loves camping with her husband and volunteering at a local animal shelter.

The Five Life Lessons I’ve Learned From My Toddler

TWO-YEAR-OLDS ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF WISDOM TO IMPART

Parenting a two-year-old is a lot like riding a roller coaster. One minute you’re climbing toward new heights, filled with anticipation and excitement about what’s to come; and the next minute, you’re dangling upside-down, screaming in terror, wondering how you ended up here and if you’re ever going to get down. My daughter has more energy than I’ll ever have, and to say she keeps me on my toes is an understatement. But lately, between insane tantrums and hilarious exchanges, I’ve been observing her behaviour and the way she goes about life. And, I must say, I’ve been amazed.

Toddlers are so incredible because, for the most part, they exist in a pure and natural state—untainted by society’s expectations, standards, rules, and controls. They do what they want, when they want, until someone forces them to stop. They speak their minds and act without inhibition. And, the truth is, we adults can learn a lot from them! So the next time you start questioning your own behaviours and wondering if you’re living in an inauthentic way—spend some time with a two-year-old. Here’s what mine has taught me:

1. Be persistent: If you want something badly enough it’s worth going after. Whether this means cajoling, bargaining, pleading, or even stomping your feet—sometimes you need to have the strength to not back down. Even if someone (or more likely, YOU) is standing in the way of making your dream/goal/desire a reality, a healthy dose of conviction is sometimes all you need to break down that barrier. My daughter, when she wants something really badly, often resorts to bargaining. She’ll say: “Mommy, I have a great idea, how about…” or “Mommy, just one more and then done, Ok?!” She’s got it down to a science, and there’s no talking her out of something, once she’s made up her mind.

2. Be in the moment: If there’s anyone who can teach us about mindfulness, it’s a toddler. It’s amazing to watch a little kid play. It’s as if nothing around them matters. They’re not thinking about what they’re going to have for dinner, or how they’re going to make it to the potty in time for their next pee. They aren’t worrying about how the week’s weather forecast will interfere with their play dates, or what to wear to the family dinner party. Kids live in the moment. And while that explains the intense frustration when something doesn’t work out or they don’t get their own way, it also means they don’t waste any time worrying about things in the future they have no control over anyway. And, once you’re living in the moment, you have the benefit of experiencing life with a ‘beginner’s mind.’ This means you get to experience the joy/excitement/thrill of doing something for the first time (say riding a bike or landing a dream job) everysingleday.

3. Let your emotions flow: Have you ever watched a two-year-old process emotions? Mine can go from laughing hysterically, to crying and screaming, to sulking, to laughing again in a matter of minutes. She expresses her emotions as she feels them, so she’s never at risk of keeping them pent up inside. She doesn’t know about holding a grudge, and the longest she can stay angry with someone is five minutes (I’ve timed her). When I’m upset, the first thing she does is make a funny face or give me a huge hug, then says: “You happy now Mommy?” and she fully expects that no matter what I’ve been feeling, I’ll be happy—just like that. Keeping our emotions bottled up has been proven to be unhealthy, yet it’s a habit most of us adopt somewhere around the age of 8, when our parents,teachers, etc. say things like: “don’t cry,” “don’t be upset,” and “be a big girl.” I’m trying really hard not to tell my daughter how to feel. Instead I try to honour her emotions (as intense and unfounded as they may seem to me) and celebrate the fact that she can be so true to herself. After all, there’s no better feeling than the calm that comes after a huge tantrum!

4. Forget about what others think: I’ll never forget attending a seminar by leadership guru Robin Sharma and listening to him talk about his kids. I didn’t have kids at the time, but loved what he said and still think about it today. If his son waned to go to the grocery store in a fireman’s hat or his daughter insisted on dressing herself in mismatching clothes, he said, instead of feeling embarrassed or insisting they change, he’d celebrate their creativity and lack of inhibition. Most kids (until a certain age) couldn’t care less what others think of them; while most of us adults care way too much. My daughter will wear anything, say anything, do anything as long as it feels good to her. Do you ever wonder how you’d live your life if no one was watching? That’s how my kiddo lives hers every day. It may sound cliche, but it’s totally liberating. I’m taking cues from her and quieting that inner voice that says: ‘what if they don’t like me?’ ‘what if they think I look fat?’ ‘what if they think my writing isn’t good enough?’ As my daughter practices her plié sauté on a busy sidewalk wearing a tutu and a mismatched hat with chocolate smeared on her cheek I have to ask myself—who cares?! And the answer I’m going for is—not me!

5. Love yourself: My daughter is happiest when positioned in front of the full-length mirror in our front foyer. There she’ll sing, dance, and have full conversations with herself. She’s so happy with her own reflection that she never looks upon herself with criticism or judgment. She doesn’t look in the mirror and think: ‘geez my hair is so frizzy today,’ or ‘my face is too pale.’ Instead she emanates pure love. This is self love at its finest! It’s what we all felt about ourselves when we were kids, before we started listening to the criticism of others. When my daughter successfully makes a pee on the toilet (she was just recently toilet trained)—she throws her arms in the air with complete enthusiasm and says “Hurray Willow!!” She’s so genuinely proud of herself that she doesn’t worry about sounding boastful. When was the last time you looked yourself in the mirror and felt nothing but love? When was the last time you celebrated your own accomplishments? Patted yourself on the back? Took pride in how great you are? Spoken out-loud your gratitude for all that you have and all that you are? I know this video is old, but it embodies perfectly what I’m talking about. Take a lesson from this kid (and from your own kids) and start loving yourself more today!

………………………………….

Thank you, Hailey Eisen, for your delightful “toddler-reminder” that when we persist, live in the present, let our emotions flow, never mind what others think, and love ourselves, our lives are happier!

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